I’ve been visiting a number of Japanese-Italian cafes of late – whether it’s for a hearty Sunday brunch, or a one-on-one R&R over a cake and a piping hot cuppa. There’s something exquisite about Western cuisine, coupled with the unmatched level of attention paid by the Japanese to detail, which never ceases to delight my palate.

Dolce Tokyo is no exception. Tucked between Lowry’s Farm and Uniqlo at 313 Somerset, (which are coincidentally clothing giants from Japan) MOF’s latest venture boasts an extensive menu of all-day breakfasts, drinks, mains, and a variety of quirky desserts. But more on that later. 😉

Restaurants and cafes in town are notoriously crowded on weekends (for obvious reasons), so we were pleasantly surprised to find it relatively empty and quiet throughout our meal. It was just as well, since we got to soak in the casual atmosphere and smooth jazzy beats that permeated Dolce Tokyo’s 58-seater premises. 😉

For starters, my friend and I shared a Mixed Crostini, which is a platter of grilled bread topped with tomato concasse, chilled shrimps, salmon roe, tamagoyaki egg, smoked salmon, unagi, and okaka, served with a bottle of olive oil to drizzle.

As soon as I saw it arrive at our table, my mouth fell wide open; a riot of colours and aromas greeted us as our waitress set it down. Picking from that platter, I felt like I was a kid rummaging through a mixed candy tray at Chinese New Year – there were just so many combinations to choose from and I was spoilt for choice!

And, oh, those colours. Pleasing hues of red and brown arranged artistically around a bed of bright green lettuce leaves with just a dash of purple. I think Dolce Tokyo just redefined eye candy for me. 😀

There was a pleasant blend of flavours when I bit into one, too. Crisp, fresh baked bread with layers of juicy tomatoes and savoury goodies; what more could one ask for? Great value for money, if you ask me! 😀

The Hiyashi Chuka which I had was absolutely light and refreshing: cold somen noodles beneath generous strips of tamagoyaki egg, sliced cucumber, sliced carrot, sliced ginger, sliced gammon ham, nori and wolfberries.

It was like the chefs at Dolce Tokyo were out to take my tastebuds on a tour of Asia, what with quintessentially Japanese ingredients like tamagoyaki egg and nori sharing the same plate as the wolfberries, a staple in Chinese recipes.

And that’s not all. 😉

Doused with a cold goma sesame sauce (which is served in a separate canister for you to pour to your preference), Dolce Tokyo’s Hiyashi Chuka quickly made it to my list of favourite noodle dishes. The somen noodles were chilly and springy, making it a delight to slurp up while my friends forked through their rice dishes. 😛

After tossing ’em noodles a la Chinese lo hei, my tastebuds were greeted by a medley of flavours that can only be described as perfect. 😀 The ingredients were fresh and plentiful, and the sauce just hit the spot for me. The perfect remedy for a hot summer’s day, or a particularly ardent shopping marathon. 😉

We ended our meal with a Dessert Bento. Think of it as a dessert sampler of sorts, where you get to sample a little bit of everything from Dolce Tokyo’s dessert menu which, believe it or not, is actually longer than their main menu!

So if you happen to stop by with a group of friends and are spoilt for choice, be sure to go for it. And even then, you’ll still be torn over what to pick for your box of goodies. 😀

Each bento comes with shiratama, panna cotta, gelato, gyuuhi and cake of the day served in a bento box, a definite novelty. What can I say, I’m a huge sucker for quirky packaging and plating. 😛

With the exception of the Yuzu Cake (which was slightly dry and hard), the Dessert Bento was the ultimate pièce de résistance. Much like Japan herself, our bento presented an eclectic mix of traditional and modern flavours as both Asian and European desserts were included.

Special mention goes to the panna cotta, which is supposedly made with real vanilla pods, and bounces and wobbles on your dessert spoon. The caramelized bananas, warm and sweet, provided a nice contrast to the cool temperature of the ice cream as well. 😛

Dolce Tokyo’s definitely got it down pat for presentation; we didn’t get round to their famous cake in a cage offerings, but I suspect they won’t disappoint either the next time we’re around! 😉

Address:  313 Somerset, 313 Orchard Road Unit 03-23

Website/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DolceTokyoSG

Contact: 6836 5612/ samdy@ministryoffood.com.sg

Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10.30pm

chueonit.